Sides from Major League Soccer and Liga MX are about to lock horns once more.
Get excited.
With just over a month until the CONCACAF Champions League group stages begin — yes, you heard that right — the schedule for the five MLS sides in CCL action this year have been announced.
And plenty of focus will be on the all-MLS ties between the San Jose Earthquakes and Montreal Impact.
That tie is in fact the opener on August 7, as the Impact host San Jose at Stade Saputo. With the Earthquakes staying put in Canada for an extended period, as they play against Vancouver in MLS action three days later.
Like I said, get excited.
In seasons gone by, MLS fans have often sneered upon CCL matches. For a variety of reasons the continental cup competition hasn’t quite captured the imagination of US and Canadian fans. For the most part. We all remember Real Salt Lake’s fairytale run to the final back in 2010.
But with so many MLS teams involved this year, hopefully that tide of optimism will return. Major League Soccer should definitely focus on success in CCL before thinking about entering competitions such as the Copa Libertadores.
Some people think MLS should jump straight into South America’s premiere club competition. But until MLS conquers the CONCACAF Champions League, those plans should be placed well and truly on the back burner.
So here they are, check out the schedule and plan your CCL trips accordingly.
Sporting Kansas City
- 8/7 at Real Estelí FC; 10 pm ET, Estadio Independcia, Estelí, Nicaragua
- 8/27 at CD Olimpia; 10 pm ET, Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- 9/17 vs. Real Estelí FC; 8 pm ET, Sporting Park
- 10/23 vs. CD Olimpia; 8 pm ET, Sporting Park
Houston Dynamo
- 8/20 at W Connection; 8 pm ET, in Trinidad and Tobago
- 8/27 vs. Árabe Unido; 8 pm ET, BBVA Compass Stadium
- 9/25 vs. W Connection; 8 pm ET, BBVA Compass Stadium
- 10/24 at Árabe Unido; 8 pm ET, in Panama
Montreal Impact
- 8/7 vs. San Jose Earthquakes; 8 pm ET, Stade Saputo
- 8/21 at CD Heredia; 10 pm ET, in Guatemala
- 9/17 at San Jose Earthquakes; 10 pm ET, Buck Shaw Stadium
- 9/25 vs. CD Heredia; 8 pm ET, Stade Saputo
San Jose Earthquakes
- 8/7 at Montreal Impact; 8 pm ET, Stade Saputo
- 8/28 at CD Heredia; 10 pm ET, in Guatemala
- 9/17 vs. Montreal Impact; 10 pm ET, Buck Shaw Stadium
- 10/23 vs. CD Heredia; 10 pm ET, Buck Shaw Stadium
LA Galaxy
- 8/20 vs. Cartaginés; 10 pm ET, StubHub Center
- 9/18 vs. Isidro Metapán; 10 pm ET, StubHub Center
- 9/25 at Cartaginés; 10 pm ET, in Costa Rica
- 10/24 at Isidro Metapán; 10 pm ET, in El Salvador
